


picture perfect memories

by seungbinsung



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Flashbacks, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, five times seungmin was indecisive and the one time he isn't, jeongin is an inspiration and seungmin is inspired it's perfect, kim seungmin is whipped and so is jeongin again it's perfect, minor binsung but they're useless and annoying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:01:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24375466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seungbinsung/pseuds/seungbinsung
Summary: “If you could go anywhere in the world right now,” Chan restated, “Would it be to a “where” or to a “who”?”Seungmin was unable to give a definite answer.***Kim Seungmin left Korea. Naturally, he received a couple of going away presents from friends. One in particular is a scrapbook from Yang Jeongin. Set forth, he's brought back to time through a series of picture perfect memories.
Relationships: Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 7
Kudos: 75





	picture perfect memories

“Complete this for me, will you?” That was the last thing Seungmin heard before leaving his friends at the airport.

Actually, the last _words_ he heard. The last _thing_ he heard was his best friend, Changbin’s muffled sobs, as he waves the younger goodbye. Seungmin wasn’t expecting anything less from the older. He’s always been the emotional and vulnerable one out of the duo ever since they met. It wasn’t a bad thing—it’s actually nice to have some emotions around when the only thing he heard from his other friends were: “Try to not get yourself killed, kiddo” (from Minho, Changbin introduced him as a classmate from his culinary class) he cocks his head continuing with: “At least not the first day”; “Maybe you can get me an Australian boyfriend” (from Hyunjin, a fellow photography major who he met his first day of university) and “Eat well for me, I’m stuck with your best friend’s cooking” (from Jisung, Changbin’s boyfriend whom he was crying on at the airport).

So the sight of a crying best friend, the only thing he needed for his last day in Korea. 

The last words Seungmin heard before he left were from Yang Jeongin, a classmate for one class, as he handed Seungmin a present.

“Why are you in music class?” Jeongin asked, merely seconds after introducing himself on their first day together. Seungmin didn’t sit beside him, but Jeongin made sure to be comfortable when he sat down beside him. 

He has one favourite spot in lecture halls. Near the back enough for the professor to not have an eye contact, but also near the front that he doesn’t have to wait for the other students to rush out of the lecture hall.

Seungmin opened his mouth, then pouted. “Aren’t you an education major?”

“Yeah and I’m going to be teaching a bunch of five-year olds how to play the recorder,” he said as a matter of fact, “What are _you_ gonna do? Teach nature to play music?”

He scoffed, “Nature _does_ play music.”

The younger laughed. “Oh yeah, because birds chirping is music to everyone’s ears.

“Or, or,” he painted a picture in front of them with his hands, “The wind’s howling brought chills to his arm.”

Seungmin pushed him, “Oh, stop it!”

He laughs to himself, recalling the memory. Even if he had only met Jeongin for three minutes, Seungmin was comfortable joking around. 

The scrapbook lies closed on his lap, unsure if he wanted to open it now or later when he arrived at his destination. He knew about the gift, he was with Jeongin when he had picked up the book off the shelf. One of many books he pulled off that shelf too. The younger even asked him, “Hey, what do you think of this?”

It wasn’t anything extraordinary, just a typical blank brown board cover with a matching shade yarn that stitched the book together. 

“Like a scrapbook?” he answered, unsure of what the younger was trying to get off him.

Jeongin grinned, finally deciding on that specific book. “It’s perfect then.”

“What’s it for?”

“You.”

Jeongin doesn’t have a filter, nor will he keep a secret. Whatever he wants to say, he just says it. Which could be a bad thing if Jeongin was a terrible human being who insults people, but he’s not. 

So, Jeongin doesn’t have a filter, but it’s a good thing. Unlike Seungmin who struggles to speak his mind, Jeongin knows what he wants to say and how he wants to present himself. He was an influence for two years in Seungmin’s life.

“What?” Jeongin asked, when Seungmin just stared at him.

“Nothing,” he told him. “I just didn’t expect you to not keep your present a secret.”

“You wouldn’t know what’s inside it _until_ I give it to you,” the younger said. “So, really it will be a secret until then.”

Now, Jeongin probably—no, actually—he _would_ take pride in what he had done with the scrapbook. It wasn’t creative, but Jeongin wasn’t an art student. So even if the decorations were all over the place and weren't aesthetically pleasing, it was authentic. It was _Jeongin_.

On the bottom corner of the book was a large enough printing of his name, and a sticker he also bought when he got the scrapbook. (“What sticker screams you?” Seungmin didn’t get to answer, since Jeongin picked up a collection of dog heads, grinning from ear to ear. “This.”)

Seungmin opens the cover.

“Hurry up, hyung,” Jeongin groaned, looking back at Seungmin. The latter only rolled his eyes, rushing to trail right behind. 

Seungmin was unsure where they were headed. All Jeongin told him was to wear hiking clothes, bring his camera and meet him in front of campus. 

After walking for half an hour, a slope and beautiful scenery were laid out right in front of them. It was inevitable for the photographer to just focus on the trail and avoid taking pictures. It’s in his nature. Literally!

“How much more are we hiking till we reach the top?” Seungmin asked, finally caught up to the younger whose eyes were focused on the trail. 

“I don’t know, I never count how long I walk because it differs,” Jeongin answered. “Sometimes it takes an hour, maybe more, maybe less.”

“Where are we even going?”

Jeongin only grinned. “It’s a place I usually go to whenever there’s a turning point in my life. Whether it’s a bad thing or a good thing, like a calming place.”

He leaped from one rock to another, holding his backpack in place. Seungmin heard him let out a sigh of satisfaction, grinning widely.

“That’s why sometimes it takes me longer than an hour, because I’m not rushing to things. Sometimes it takes me shorter because I just want to be at my calming place.”

Seungmin smiled, capturing the boy’s smile. Jeongin turned to the sound of shutter, glaring at the man behind the lens. He only stuck his tongue, following him up the trail.

Soon enough, they reached the peak of the mountain. Seungmin took a deep breath of fresh air, closing his eyes. He glanced at the boy next to him doing the same thing, a smile reached his eyes easier just watching the latter be at peace.

On the scrapbook, Jeongin had put two bird's view photos of the mountain. One from a few years back, and another from when they went. The first picture lacked what the second picture had; trees, clean water, even a few birds were seen on the second picture.

_Catch your breath once in a while, focus on your goal, but you don’t have to rush perfection and beauty. Take a moment and appreciate what you have so far._

“That’s great!” Jeongin shrieked with a smile that Seungmin knew all too well was fake. 

He’s always had a fake smile. Whenever he worked and some ungrateful customer was screaming at him, or when he can’t get a note right and he meets up with Seungmin so he fakes a smile to not drag the mood down, or when he first met Changbin through Seungmin. He didn’t realize that one at first though, but later he did realize that letting a cute boy meet another boy that was really close to you—a best friend to be exact— _after_ telling him he’s gay wasn’t exactly the brightest moment of Kim Seungmin’s career.

“Yeah,” Seungmin agreed, quietly.

They were lying on their backs on the grass, the tree shading them from the sun’s glare. Their heads were upside down from each other, their eyes at level. 

It was supposed to be a good day, but Seungmin had just dropped the news to Jeongin. It wasn’t decided yet, he was still thinking about the offer, though Changbin, Hyunjin, Minho, even Jisung (who was Jeongin’s best friend) had been encouraging him to take it. 

But he couldn’t make a decision. Not when he hasn’t told Jeongin about it. 

“You are taking it, right?”

“I should, shouldn’t I?”

Jeongin chuckled, turning his head to look at Seungmin’s eye, “You’re not gonna make me choose this decision for you.”

Seungmin got up, the younger falling through his actions. “It’s–it’s _Australia_ , it’s a huge change from here.”

“It’s an hour difference, hyung.”

He rolled his eyes, hitting the younger gently, “You know what I mean.”

Jeongin shrugged, clicking his tongue. “You've wanted this since my first year, it’s your dream, you know English, they pay good money, what’s there to worry about?”

“You know,” Seungmin frowned, thinking of what to worry about, “I’d have to leave people behind.”

The younger scoffed, “It’s for a year not a lifetime.”

“Yeah, a year without Changbin hyung trying to cook food and making me taste it; a year of not hearing Jisung say that he’s such a terrible cook yet he eats it because he loves him.

“A year of Hyunjin inviting himself over Changbin hyung’s and my dorm just to watch a drama. Then, Minho hyung would complain about why Changbin invited him into our dorm room but only saying that because he “doesn’t want to seem interested in Hyunjin” when we _all_ know he is.” Seungmin paused, “All maybe except Hyunjin.”

He breathed, finally looking at Jeongin instead of the grass, “A year without you…r annoying ass.”

“First of all,” Jeongin started, putting a finger up to make several points. “It’s a blessing in disguise that you don’t have to eat Changbin hyung’s _horrible_ cooking every night.” Seungmin laughed, Jeongin joined softly.

“Second, it’s not like Jisung hyung wouldn’t complain about your best friend’s cooking through text, he will abuse that power and complaining about it is like second nature for him or whatever.” He took a deep breathe, lifting another finger up, “Third—”

“You can’t possibly have a reason for all my doubts.”

“Watch me.”

Seungmin lied down on Jeongin’s lap, counting with his fingers up the younger’s face.

“One, I like kimchi stew too much.”

“Korean restaurants.”

“Two, their profs could suck.”

“ _All_ professors suck, that’s a no-brainer.”

“I can forget an English word and make a fool out of myself?”

“Big deal, I forget a word or two in Korean and that’s my _first_ language.”

“What if I don't get friends?”

“You’ll have at least your roommate or whatever it is photographers at interns have.”

“I don’t have you.” Seungmin finally said, running out of things to list. This time, when he got up, his back was turned to Jeongin. Weakly, he whispered, “I won’t have you there.”

“ _Facetime_ exists.”

“It’s not the same and you know it.”

It was a couple minutes of silence before Seungmin was touching the back of his head, and Jeongin’s hand midair, “Of course it won’t be the same, you’ll be in _Australia! Working!_ Being an adult and all that bullshit.”

“Ow?” Seungmin screamed, turning to face Jeongin who held no remorse for smacking him.

“Nothing would be the same,” Jeongin said, calmly. “But it doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

Seungmin smiles, rubbing the back of his head as if Jeongin had just struck him while he’s sitting on the plane. He stares at the picture on the second page of Jeongin’s present. Written underneath the tree that had shielded their eyes from the sun were:

_Nothing stays the same. If everything were the same, then that’s when something is wrong. Change is good! So, don’t hold yourself back._

“Oh hey, hyung!”

“Ugh,” Seungmin groaned, once he saw Jeongin sitting on the couch with Changbin in his dorm room, _again_ . “This is the what—fifth time this _week_?”

Ever since Jisung and Changbin started dating, it’s been an ongoing _nuisance_ for Jisung and Jeongin to raid their dorm for almost every day the past half year. It’s usually for dinner that Changbin would proudly present them since he took two terms of culinary arts. Sometimes, they order in—that Seungmin could get by. But when Changbin cooks… 

“Um, actually,” Changbin retorted, “It’s the _sixth_ time.”

Jeongin laughed, and before Seungmin tried to tell his best friend off, the bathroom door opened to reveal Jisung walking out.

“Hey, you’re home early!” he greeted, heading for the kitchen. Seungmin looked back at Changbin and Jeongin who were suppressing smiles.

“Oh goodie, Jisung knows my schedule more than Changin hyung,” Seungmin complained, hooking his book bag. “Hyung, you’re my _roommate.”_

“Hey!” Changbin protested, “I’m your best friend first, roommate second.”

“That doesn’t help your case.”

“I think it’s nice that he knows so I know when you’ll be home,” he reasoned. “He keeps me grounded.” 

It took one look at him to make the older boy shrink down further on the couch.

“It’s time to prepare our family dinner,” Jisung grinned, picking up the aprons which he brought to their dorm, reason being: everyday was dinner at Seungmin and Changbin’s dorm. Seungmin wouldn’t be shocked if one day they all just move in together.

“Family?” Seungmin repeated, fear in his eyes for the sudden commitment, then melancholically he repeated, “Dinner?”

“Oh don’t be such a baby,” Jeongin finally interrupted.

“Changbin hyung can’t cook!”

“I’m still in culinary classes for reasons!” Changbin defended himself. “Minho hyung said I’ve improved greatly.”

“He’s lying.” 

Changbin gasped.

“You two,” Jeongin glared, pointing at Jisung and Changbin, “More cooking, less talking.” They obeyed. Jisung ran to the kitchen, helping his boyfriend while Jeongin sat with Seungmin.

“Hey.”

Seungmin barely moved, looking through his notes for the day. Jeongin poked his cheek once, twice, until he looked up, the same deadpan expression.

“Come on, hyung, they’re cute.”

“It’s ridiculous,” Seungmin huffed, now angrier when flipping through his notes. “Jisung called it _family_ dinner!”

“I mean your best friend and my best friend are dating, and they both think we’re people they should care for. Jisung hyung called me his _son_ once.” Jeongin paused, “More than once.”

Seungmin didn’t say anything, but propped his chin on the couch’s arm, blowing the bangs off his forehead. Jeongin poked his cheeks once more, trying to catch the older’s attention.

“What’s on your mind?”

“This isn’t _Twitter_ , Jeongin.”

“That’s actually a _Facebook_ tagline but would you really rather go on your private account and numbly tweet about your feelings to the void than say it to me, your close friend?”

Seungmin finally looked up from his notes and to the younger pouting with beaming eyes. The latter couldn’t help but smile. 

_“Hyung.”_

“What if they breakup?”

“Please, they’ve been dating for half a year and they’re still in that honeymoon phase of “we’re so in love and we want to spend the eternity together”.”

Jeongin was right. Changbin and Jisung haven’t been off each other ever since they started dating. Even _before_ they started dating, Jisung was always clinging onto Changbin. When they made it official, Changbin returned the same clinginess that Jisung held in his small frame. 

But Seungmin hated being wrong.

“And once it rubs off?”

“Why are you so pessimistic, Mr. I love cliche rom-com movies?”

“I don’t _love_ them,” Seungmin argued. “Hyunjin just always comes here and brings them when he wants someone to watch with and I happen to enjoy it a little bit.”

“Yeah and I only enjoy annoying Jisung hyung a little bit,” he snorted. “We can all lie.”

“Can’t you just be happy for them?” Jeongin asked, his eyes softening. Seungmin looked at him then to the couple wasting food on each other’s faces and laughing. “Haven’t seen Jisung hyung smile like that.”

“What?” Seungmin asked, voice flat, “He’s never been happy?”

“He’s never been _in love,”_ Jeongin corrected him. “Just look at it from that point of view.”

Once Jeongin finished his speech, he picked himself up off the couch, offering his hand to invite Seungmin too. 

“You won’t die eating dinner.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

Jeongin just laughed, pulling Seungmin’s hand. He tailed behind Jeongin, only letting go when he sat down on the bar stool of the kitchen island and Jeongin diverted with the couple, hoping to stop the mess bound to be made. There, Seungmin stared at the couple, unknowingly forming a fond smile watching his best friend in love. 

Then he looked at Jeongin slowly, who held a proud winning smile, mouthing, _I told you_. 

Seungmin props his chin on the airplane seat’s armrest, looking at some of the pictures all four of them took during their “family dinners”. Of course not all the pictures were there, a year wouldn’t exactly fit in two pages. 

_I was paid to put in Jisung and Changbin hyung. I don’t know what to say. So here’s them talking:_

_I love you, Seungminnie!!! — Jisung ^-^_

_I’ll miss you Min :( — Bin-hyung_

“It’s summer!” Jeongin screamed, wrapping his arms around Seungmin. 

It’s not like Seungmin and Jeongin weren’t friends, they’ve also hung out after school hours so they’re not just university friends—but hugging—it was out of pocket. Not in a bad way, Seungmin was just taken by surprise by the sudden action. It didn’t help how Jeongin softly patted his back either, letting go of the older, and an embarrassed grin to offer. 

“It’s summer,” he repeated, softer the second time around.

Seungmin chuckled, “Yes, I heard it the first time when you came in running to hug me.”

Jeongin rolled his eyes and started walking for the two of them instead of standing in the middle of the way like ignorant students. 

“So,” he began, “What are your plans?”

The photographer shrugged, “Might go home or stay, I don’t know yet, Changbin hyung usually decides for me. You?”

“Jisung hyung wants to go to some beach.”

“No offence but your best friend should know that the best time to go to the beach is fall.”

“That’s what I said!” Jeongin agreed, almost screeching. “He’s still dragging me though, said a cute guy from his music theory would be there. You want anything?”

Seungmin shook his head. They found their usual spot near the common area for students who are waiting for their next class. It was conveniently close to one of many coffee shops in their university, where Jeongin was headed.

“I said the water would be warmer by fall,” the younger continued ranting, returning to the table with muffin and two drinks. “But he said, no, the sun’s out so the water would be warm in summer.”

Seungmin started laughing, “He’s not serious, right?” Jeongin didn’t say anything, sitting down with a blank expression. “Oh, he is.”

“He believes he’s right,” Jeongin huffed, biting on the muffin. “I need to find some science nerd or something, to distract him and not bother me reading my book.”

“Changbin hyung is a science nerd,” Seungmin said, without thinking. Jeongin slowly smiled at his words, while Seungmin’s slowly turn into fear. “No, we are _not_ setting up our best friends.”

“Well, if we did, we both will have at least one plan for summer.”

Seungmin opened his mouth to argue, but his phone started ringing. 

“It’s Changbin hyung,” he said before answering. 

“He heard you cockblocking him,” Jeongin piercely whispered, laughing when Seungmin was irritated. 

“Hey,” Seungmin answered.

_“Hi, where are you?”_

“With Jeongin.”

 _“Oh, with Jeongin?”_ Changbin repeated, playful teasing on his tone.

“Get your head out of your ass, what do you want?”

Changbin laughed on the other line, _“I’m going back to the dorms, but I’ll stop by the market.”_

“Get chips.”

The older hummed, _“Will do. Hey, what do you want to do for summer?”_

“I don’t know, _Netflix?_ Going home is too much for my wallet right now.”

_“How about the beach?”_

“Beach?” Seungmin repeated, Jeongin perked his ears, now interestingly eating his muffin. “You hate the beach when it’s summer.”

_“Yeah, but the cute guy from my music theory class says differently.”_

“Cute guy from your music theory class?” (Jeongin was fully smiling then, Seungmin covered his mic to say, “Back off”, focusing on his best friend again.)

_“Uh, yeah you know it’s whatever. So, what do you say?”_

“Sure okay, beach.”

 _“Okie. I’ll see you back at the dorms. Love you, take care.”_ And he dropped the call. 

“So,” Jeongin smugly grinned, “Beach?”

It was a week in summer when the beach idea came up again. Changbin smoothly incorporated the topic while playing video games. Seungmin barely registered it, focused only on the game before turning his attention to Changbin.

“You were serious about that?”

“Of course I am,” Changbin mumbled, pausing the game. Seungmin turned to Changbin who was already looking at him, pouting, “He’s really cute.”

“That’s really gross,” Seungmin mocked, pressing the start on Changbin’s console.

Changbin paused the game again _, “Pleeeaase.”_

Seungmin rolled his eyes, attempting to ignore his best friend. Changbin had practically climbed onto his lap, forcing him to look at his—from Changbin’s words—irresistible pout. 

(Even if they were only Changbin’s words, Seungmin can’t deny that it does in fact work, so they spent part—maybe more than half—of summer on the beach).

“You came,” Jeongin said after Changbin and Jisung had shyly greeted each other. They were gone near the shore, splashing cold water to each other. Seungmin heard Jisung ask loudly, “Why is it cold?” And he assumed Changbin was drifting onto spitting facts about water.

“Couldn’t say no to hyung.”

Seungmin had one goal: take pictures of the scenery. Of course, he was expecting Jeongin to tag along; however, the younger had his mind set on reading a book under the shade. 

He shrugged if off, walking around the shore—far enough that he wouldn’t get caught by their best friends playing on the water, but close enough to still hear bits of their conversations. After taking pictures of Changbin dropping Jisung onto the ocean bridal style and Jisung scrambling for help, he walked back to where they set up their items. 

“Back already?”

Seungmin nodded not realizing that Jeongin didn’t avert his gaze away from the book he was reading. “Yeah, I think I’ll stay in the shade for now.”

Jeongin hummed. Then a book dropped beside Seungmin, and Jeongin was lifting himself up from the portable chair onto the blanket that Seungmin and Changbin laid out on the grass. 

“Can I see?” Jeongin asked, pointing at the camera. Seungmin didn’t think twice before handing it to him.

See, usually Seungmin would make a big deal before letting people go through his gallery that hasn’t been edited. He feared that people would berate his talent despite that he hasn’t looked at them himself. But Seungmin trusts that Jeongin wouldn’t do anything of the sort, so he gives his camera without any doubts. 

Seungmin doesn’t only show his photography to Jeongin though. He’s also shown it to Changbin, Hyunjin and occasionally Jisung would annoy him enough to give in and show his gallery. Changbin would feed on his ego to fulfill his “best friend’s duty”; Hyunjin would give constructive criticisms as a fellow photographer major; Jisung would gasp and whisper compliments, too speechless to vocalize his words. With Jeongin, he becomes some sort of philosophical believer with wise words. 

Except not the time at the beach.

“Haha, look at this hyung, the boxers shaped Jisung hyung’s ass,” Jeongin giggled, pointing at Jisung’s swim boxers that had, unfortunately, carved his behind. 

“What? That’s it?”

They stared at each other before Seungmin realized that Jeongin was studying his expression, about to come up with an analogy from his psychology class. Seungmin cleared his throat, grabbing the camera off Jeongin’s grasp.

“What else were you expecting?”

“I don’t know,” Seungmin shrugged. “Your typical too-much-thoughts.”

Jeongin laughed, “What do you want me to say; Jisung hyung’s behind has more meaning than just his butt?”

Seungmin frowned, but inevitably cracking a smile. 

“It is indeed a miracle that the water has shaped something non-existent,” Jeongin said, stroking his chin. 

“Shut up.”

“Not everything has to have a deep meaning, you know?” Jeongin said, climbing back on his chair. “Sometimes it’s just nice to see your best friend’s ass for blackmail—which by the way, send me those pictures.”

Seungmin chuckles quietly at the picture Jeongin taped onto the book—the one he asked for at the beach to blackmail Jisung. And more of their trips to the beach throughout the entirety of that summer. 

_Heard Australia has lots of waves so here’s to hoping for good memories. But nothing can ever beat Jisung hyung’s butt._

_Stop thinking too deep. Enjoy some photography as it is—beautifully carved (that's the last butt joke I promise)._

Before Seungmin could proceed on to the last page, the pilot interrupts the silence, informing the passengers that they’ll be landing soon.

That’s when Seungmin pauses, letting himself fall back on the seat. In the next thirty minutes, he’s landing. In the next thirty minutes, he’s _back_ home, not even a year in Australia. It isn’t planned, his roommates in Australia—Chan and Felix—convinced him to go back home and decline the offer given.

“I don’t know what to do!” Seungmin grumbled, face falling first on the bed. Despite not seeing Chan and Felix’s faces, he knew they were staring at each other with pitiful looks for Seungmin. “It’s a great offer and _really_ cheap and I’ve wanted it before, but—”

“But Korea is your home,” Felix finished, lying down next to him. He patted Seungmin’s head a couple times before the latter turned himself around, his back now against the bed. 

“And my friends are in Korea,” Seungmin sighed. “And I miss them a lot.”

The offer was this: Seungmin wouldn’t have to stay in Australia, he’ll be all over the world until he finishes his degree. Through the offer, he’ll be able to showcase his talent and strengths with different landscapes, exploring more of what he could do once he graduates. _But—_

“Answer this without thinking,” Chan began, sitting on the chair across the bed. Seungmin and Felix both got off the bed, staring at him, unsure of what he had in mind. “If you could go anywhere in the world right now—”

“Korea,” Seungmin answered without thinking. “I miss Korea, I don’t have to think about that.”

“And you didn’t let me finish.”

“Okay, finish your question.”

“If you could go anywhere in the world right now,” Chan restated, “Would it be to a “where” or to a “who”?”

Seungmin was unable to give a definite answer. He grumbled again, picking up a pillow to hide his scorned face.

“Seungminnie,” Felix cooed, grabbing the pillow off his face. Seungmin just had a pout.

“Why am I awful at making decisions for my own good?” he grimaced, getting up. “If Jeongin was here, he’d give me some advice and I’ll be able to decide then and…” Seungmin didn’t finish his sentence, slowing down his words before he could compose more of his thoughts.

Chan and Felix were smiling at him, “Go on.”

“To Jeongin,” Seungmin said, scrambling to get up. He grabbed the scrapbook from his shelf easily as if it was a habit to have the book in hand. Quickly, he opened to the last page and read the message. 

He smiled and whispered, “That’s _who_ I want to be with right now.”

No one besides Chan and Felix knew about Seungmin leaving Australia early. Not even Changbin (he knows his best friend wouldn’t be able to keep his mouth shut, especially not to his boyfriend and Jisung can’t even tell a simple lie to Jeongin—what more to keep a secret?). His classes were done but his friends back in Korea knew he had two months of spring classes to attend to _before_ coming back home.

Seungmin bites his lip, opening the last page of the scrapbook in the cab. He takes a deep breath before finally checking the picture.

He’s seen it, of course he has. The first thing he did when leaving Korea almost a year ago was go on the plane and look at the present Jeongin carefully told him to not open until he was out of sight. 

But looking at it now, it feels different. He has looked at the other pictures and words, encouraging himself despite being miles apart from the younger and the rest of his friends. But he’s only opened the last page back twice: 1) when making a decision to come back to Korea and 2) the first time he looked through the book. 

“So why are you in this class?” Jeongin continued to ask after their first class was done. Seungmin still didn’t answer. He’s known the boy for an hour—the entirety of the hour wasn’t even dedicated to getting to know him—and yet, he refused to let Seungmin go.

“Come on, we’re gonna be stuck beside each other for the next four months, you can’t always avoid the question.”

Seungmin laughed, “See you later, Jeongin.”

Jeongin, indeed, sat beside Seungmin in the following classes. It wasn’t like Seungmin hated his company to push the younger off; in fact, he genuinely enjoyed Jeongin’s presence—his mumbled comments here and there about the professor’s way of teaching, his dry humour that would sometimes make Seungmin choke on his own saliva, unprepared for the laughter, his brutally honest comments. 

Their professor didn’t bother partnering people up in the class for projects, so Jeongin and Seungmin always chose each other. They’ve spent hours in and out of class talking. Sometimes about their classes, most times Jeongin would spark up a random conversation from the lecture that he’s been keeping inside when the professor says something that triggers a story in him. 

“I gotta say something but I forgot,” Jeongin said once. He kept clicking his tongue, reciting the lecture that had just ended a few minutes ago. “I swear, I had a story.”

“Next time write it down on your notes instead of daydreaming,” Seungmin advised, bidding goodbye and walking the opposite way for his next class. “See you later, Jeongin.”

Seungmin has visited his dorm room, meeting Jisung, and Jeongin to his, meeting Changbin (and more than once, Hyunjin whenever he comes in unattended—“You’re Jeongin? The one he—” Seungmin would usually shut him up then).

“The one he what?” Jeongin asked his partner after they finished their project and Hyunjin and the sun were long gone. 

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb,” he snarled, “Hyunjin-ssi, what did he mean?”

“Oh,” Seungmin mumbled, biting on the pizza Changbin ordered for them. For some reason, Changbin made it his duty to make them comfortable and offer them food and drinks like a parent with a friend over their house. Jisung was the same for Seungmin. 

“So?”

Seungmin shrugged, “I may have slipped your name once or twice during a conversation, it’s not a big deal.”

“Like what?” Jeongin asked, beaming. He was, then, just focused on Seungmin instead of the show they had put up on his laptop. “Come on, just one thing you’ve said.”

“You’re a nagger.”

“I’m an _inspiration,_ baby,” the younger corrected him. 

The next time Jeongin had something to say, Seungmin noticed him taking out his notebook, flicking through his notes before pointing hard on a word. 

“The prof talked about bass and I remembered…” 

And he was off on his own little world, talking about his past choir, sometimes the present one in university. Then he’ll diverge into a totally different topic, Seungmin would chime in, and they’d sit in front of the cafe—their usual spot—just chatting. 

Some days Seungmin would offer to buy coffee and snacks, other days it would be Jeongin. Most days, they stand together in the line, talking while holding their debit cards tightly, racing to beat the other who pays for food.

Time never felt slow with Yang Jeongin, Seungmin learned that the hard way. He had missed more than one class, and so has Jeongin, carried away with their endless conversations. Seungmin _hated_ missing class, but he would never turn back time to attend a boring lecture than listen to Jeongin talk about everything to nothing. 

There were days where they would sit under the tree Jeongin also marked as theirs (literally initialled his name to the tree). They’d usually hang out there; most of the time, Seungmin would be lying on Jeongin’s lap, bothering the younger from the book he was reading. Sometimes, if Jeongin was tired, he’d be the one lying on Seungmin’s lap, napping and Seungmin would be shielding the sun’s ray from his eyes.

“I took music class because I was unsure of what I’m doing,” Seungmin finally said, while packing up their books on the last day of their music class. Jeongin stopped midway to stare at the older who only let out a soft laugh. “It sounds dumb or whatever, but I thought I’d have fun in music or that photography isn't really my calling and all that.”

“And?”

Seungmin stared at him, “What do you mean “and”?”

“Did you have fun?”

He only smiled, “Come, let’s go get coffee.”

Seungmin walked ahead of Jeongin, knowing the younger would catch up any second.

Soon enough, he said, “I had fun,” he smiled awkwardly. “You were kind of a fun partner.”

“Thanks, I’ll make sure to put that on my resume,” Seungmin said. While typing on his laptop he mouthed the words: decent teammate.

Jeongin snorted, “Resume for what?”

“Australia! I heard they take photography majors there for the exchange program. They explore, take classes and sometimes they travel even further than Australia. Imagine how crazy it would be if they take me and be one of the few who gets to like—I don’t know—go to Europe or something.”

“Can I take a picture of you?” Seungmin looked up from his laptop, searching for the university’s website in hopes of showing Jeongin the program he was talking about.

“What?”

“It’s just,” Jeongin laughed nervously, “I haven’t seen you smile that big and be so decisive about something. I want to capture it.”

“Oh,” Seungmin mumbled, the smile falling.

“Ey, I need the smile to capture it.” Seungmin forced a smile. “Not that smile, that one’s forced!”

“How was I supposed to smile then!”

“Here,” Jeongin got up to see the screen of Seungmin’s laptop; the screen already had the website for the program up. “Talk about the experience.”

Seungmin kept staring at Jeongin, unaware of the sudden close distance. He smiled a little bit, studying the younger’s features he’s never been aware of before. His dimples weren’t visible, but Seungmin knew exactly where they were from the amount of times he just stared at them instead of paying attention.

“Hyung,” Jeongin called, knocking Seungmin out of his daydream. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah,” he stuttered. “So, Australia…” and he’s off into his own little world.

Lies in front of Seungmin was the first picture Jeongin ever took of him on the last day of their first and only class that had brought two complete opposites together. On the bottom, a short and simple sentence that Seungmin once thought was redundant. 

_You know what to do. You always have :)_

Seungmin looks out the window to a familiar road. That’s when it hits him. 

He’s five minutes—maybe less—to his destination. He fidgets around his seat, unable to control himself. He’s seeing Jeongin soon. 

The boy who more than once helped him with a decision. The boy who he wants to be with right now. The boy who makes him laugh without trying so hard. The boy that can hold a conversation with him for hours without running out of stories to tell. _Yang Jeongin,_ the boy he admires.

Seungmin stands in front of the door, his heart pounding. He has rehearsed this—in front of the mirror after his shower from the day he decided to decline the offer and go home up to the day of his flight. Felix has teased him more than once—fooled him too by mimicking a smaller voice and responding to Seungmin’s introduction (“Go away, Felix!”)

With a shaking hand, he knocks on the familiar door. When no one answered, he knocks againz

“Who is it?” Seungmin smiles, hearing the younger’s voice again after so long. 

Not a second later it opens to reveal the same lanky—just woken up—boy that Seungmin has missed the past year. His hair was messy, his cheeks still engraved with the depth of his dimples.

Jeongin stands still, mouth agape and unable to form words at the figure who stands before him. Seungmin smiles, propping the scrapbook towards the younger’s chest. He takes a second to recognize the book, before giving an all-knowing smile.

“I, uh—” Seungmin begins, the rehearsed conversations immediately thrown out the window. He shakes off the jitters, trying to smile and once again says, “I was hoping we could complete it together.”

**Author's Note:**

> haha sorry i had to end it like that hope u enjoyed! :D
> 
> [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/seungcentric)


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